Arthritis Raises Suicide Risk

Arthritis doubles the risk of suicide attempts, according to a new study conducted at the University of Toronto and published in the June 14, 2016 issue of Rheumatology International.

Esme Fuller-Thomson, PhD, MSW and colleagues analyzed data from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health, consisting of 4,885 individuals with arthritis and 16,589 without arthritis. They found that 1 in 26 men with arthritis has attempted suicide, compared to 1 in 50 men without arthritis.

The prevalence of suicide attempts in women with arthritis was likewise higher than in those without the illness (5.3% vs 3.2%, respectively).

The study had two objectives:

(1) to determine the odds of suicide attempts among those with arthritis and see what factors attenuate this association; and

(2) to identify factors associated with suicide attempts in these patients